Saturday's historic opening session of Cincinnati City Council wasn't exactly the coronation that everyone had in mind a year ago, when Charlie Luken looked to be a lock for the city's first strong mayor since 1925.

Charlie Luken was sworn in, of course. And while he wasn't presented with a crown, there was a palpable sense in the City Council chambers that Mr. Luken's stature had been elevated from his previous status as first among equals.

What was missing was any of the partisan rancor that had so characterized City Council throughout the last decade.

It was a day Mr. Luken, a Democrat, had been working for since 1979, when he first ran for council on a platform of, among other things, a stronger role for the mayor.

I always knew this day would come, Mr. Luken said. I just didn't know if I'd still be in the building.

Mr. Luken's installation as the first directly elected mayor since George F. Carrel in 1925 was the culminating political event in a year that saw the city's worst riots in a generation. Once the favorite, Mr. Luken had to come back from a 16-point primary loss to former news anchor Courtis Fuller to win the election last month.

David Pepper (right) is sworn in as a member of City Council. Standing beside him is his father, Procter & Gamble chairman John Pepper.
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If I were to stand before you today and list all the issues facing the city, I would greatly exceed the five-minute limit I've set for myself, he said.

I am heartened when I hear (vice mayor) Alicia Reece say to you this morning what has not been repeated enough over the last few months, and that is that Cincinnati is a great city, he said. That's not for a moment to suggest that we don't have serious problems and great issues, because we do.

He recalled Murray Seasongood's speech when he was sworn in as the first charter mayor in 1926. He said the citizens should not expect us to rub Aladdin's lamp and solve the city's problems overnight.

Well, I'm not going to put the genie back in the bottle, Mr. Luken said.

We're going to acknowledge the past, we're going to learn from our past, and we're going to recognize that our past makes us a great American city. But we're going to move boldly into the future.

He said his daughter Molly asked him which one of the council members he didn't like. He told her he'll be able to work with them all.

Not one of the nine people got elected to City Council by telling the voters they wanted things to stay the same, he said. I hope today represents a fresh start for all of you. I hope it represents a fresh start for me.

We will not repudiate our past. We will not run down our city. We will be optimistic about our future, and we will work together.

The mayor's new powers  including power to veto ordinances and lead hiring and firing of the city manager  could put him in conflict with council. Saturday, however, council members expressed a willingness to work together.

Today when we took the oath of office and swore to uphold the charter, it was a different charter than we swore to uphold two years ago, said Councilman Pat DeWine, a Republican.

Mr. DeWine, a Republican, said he hoped Mr. Luken would have a George Washington-like opportunity to define the new system of government.

Councilman Chris Monzel, a Republican, urged his colleagues not to play the same political games we've seen at City Hall over the years. ... I will not let this city wither away on my watch.

Newcomer David Crowley, a Democrat, acknowledged being critical during the campaign. But he quoted President John F. Kennedy: Our task is not to fix blame for the past, but to fix the course for the future.

Freshman councilman David Pepper, a Democrat, said the day should be remembered for more than a charter change.

I hope it will be remembered as a day when nine council members and a strong mayor came together and started to do things differently, he said.

There were some lighter moments. After Mr. Pepper gave the longest speech of the day, Councilman Paul Booth began his speech by saying, I see the two-minute rule is suspended.

John Cranley, at 27 the youngest, noted that five of the nine were under the age of 35, and that Mayor Luken thinks and acts like he's under 35.